Software:Mario's Game Gallery

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Short description: 1995 video game
Mario's Game Gallery
Developer(s)Presage Software
Brainstorm Entertainment (Mario's FUNdamentals)
Publisher(s)Interplay Productions
Mindscape (PC version of Mario's FUNdamentals)
Stepping Stone (Mac version of Mario's FUNdamentals)
Producer(s)Thomas R. Decker
Programmer(s)Roger Sherron
Composer(s)Michael Pukish
Brian Salter
Matthew Berardo
SeriesMario
Platform(s)DOS, Windows, Macintosh
ReleaseDOS
Win
  • NA: January 1997 (re-release)
Mac
  • NA: 1996 (re-release)
Genre(s)Game compilation
Mode(s)Single-player

Mario's Game Gallery (later re-released as Mario's FUNdamentals) is an American compilation of games published by Interplay Productions and developed by Presage Software, Inc. for DOS, Windows and Macintosh. It was released in 1995 in the United States. It was later re-released as Mario's FUNdamentals for Macintosh in 1996, and for Windows in January 1997, though it was published by Mindscape for the DOS and Windows versions and by Stepping Stone for the Macintosh version. It was also developed by Brainstorm Entertainment.

The game includes five traditional games: checkers, backgammon, Go Fish, dominoes, and "yacht", a version of Yahtzee. Players play against Mario in these games, which play similarly to their real world counterparts, though with themes based on the Mario universe.

Since their releases, both versions have received mixed reception; while publications such as The State and the Los Angeles Times found the game to be a good educational game, authors David Wesley and Gloria Barczak blamed it in part for almost destroying the Mario brand. Official Nintendo Magazine listed it as one of the rarest Mario games as well.

Gameplay

The player playing backgammon against Mario, one of multiple games available.

Mario's Game Gallery consists of five games: checkers, Go Fish, dominoes, backgammon, and "yacht", a version of Yahtzee. In these games, players face off against Mario. The games all play similarly to their real world counterparts, featuring pieces based on the Mario universe.[1] Mario's Game Gallery is the first game in the series to feature Charles Martinet as Mario's voice actor; Martinet had since voiced Mario in all speaking appearances in video games until he stepped back from the role to take a new role as an ambassador for the character, in 2023.[2]

Development

Mario's Game Gallery was published by Interplay Entertainment Corp. and developed by Presage Software, Inc. for the PC. It was released in 1995. It was later re-released as Mario's FUNdamentals, though it was published by Mindscape for the PC version and by Stepping Stone for the Macintosh version. The game was also developed by Brainstorm Entertainment. It was released for the Macintosh in 1996, and for the PC in January 1997.[3][4][5]

Reception

Since their releases, both Mario's Game Gallery and its revision, Mario's FUNdamentals, have received mixed reception. The State praised it for providing fun for whole family, describing the games included as "excellent".[6] The Miami Herald praised its "sharp" graphics and "fun" animations, as well as the music, which they claim to be based on music from the Mario series. Like The State, they describe it as "fun for the whole family", though they criticized it for being too difficult at times. However, they recommend it for first-time PC users who want an "easy-to-install product for the new CD-ROM".[7] The Advocate called it a fun game, and praised Martinet for his Mario voice, stating that small children will "giggle with delight".[8] The Los Angeles Times included it in an article of educational video games that would appeal to younger gamers.[9]

Authors David Wesley and Gloria Barczak cited Mario's Game Gallery as one of the games released in a "flood of ill-conceived Mario spin-offs", stating that it and the others nearly destroyed the series.[10] Official Nintendo Magazine's Tom East featured it as part of his "Rare Mario games" article, commenting that though it featured Martinet as Mario first, most identify Super Mario 64 as his first role as Mario.[11] It was deemed the sixth-worst Mario game of all time by ScrewAttack, concluding that there was "nothing fun about FUNdamentals".[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "ScrewAttack - Top Ten Worst Mario Games". GameTrailers. July 21, 2007. http://www.gametrailers.com/player/23547.html. 
  2. ↑ Records, Guinness World (March 11, 2008). Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition - Google Books. ISBN 9781904994213. https://books.google.com/books?id=OJQFSlyMEfAC. Retrieved January 20, 2011. 
  3. ↑ "Mario's Game Gallery Release Information for PC". GameFAQs. http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/952151-marios-game-gallery/data. 
  4. ↑ "Mario's FUNdamentals Release Information for PC". GameFAQs. http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/927051-marios-fundamentals/data. 
  5. ↑ "Mario's FUNdamentals Release Information for Macintosh". GameFAQs. http://www.gamefaqs.com/mac/927068-marios-fundamentals/data. 
  6. ↑ "'MARIO'S GAME GALLERY' PROVIDES FUN FOR WHOLE FAMILY". June 9, 1995. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CS&s_site=thestate&p_multi=CS&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB58483CE28C2B6&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. 
  7. ↑ "A must for first-time PC users who want an easy-to-install product for the new CD-ROM.". May 19, 1995. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4D1E777B05AA1&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. 
  8. ↑ "Mario helps children jump into fun with five offerings in Game Gallery". http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AD&p_theme=ad&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4780C9E25A2EA&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. 
  9. ↑ Churnin, Nancy (December 15, 1997). "EDUCATION: SMART RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/23928087.html?dids=23928087:23928087&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+15%2C+1997&author=NANCY+CHURNIN&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=EDUCATION%3A+SMART+RESOURCES+FOR+STUDENTS+AND+PARENTS%3B+Software+to+Make+Fun+of+Education%3B+With+some+thoughtful+choices+on+your+part%2C+your+kids+will+find+that%2C+yes%2C+they+can+play+games+and+learn+a+lot+while+they+do+it.&pqatl=google. 
  10. ↑ Wesley, David T. A; Barczak, Gloria (2010). Innovation and Marketing in the ... - Google Books. ISBN 9780566091674. https://books.google.com/books?id=O5KjS3Q7QdsC. Retrieved January 20, 2011. 
  11. ↑ "Nintendo Feature: Rare Mario games". Official Nintendo Magazine. April 10, 2009. http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=7898. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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